Reducing stress one exhale at a time …exploring Southern California and beyond

Holy Batman! Visiting the Batmobiles and it didn’t cost a thing!

Don’t you just love it when you stumble upon something fun and entertaining you weren’t looking for in the first place? And isn’t it even better if it doesn’t cost one cent! That’s what we found last month when we read a little notice in the Los Angeles Times about a FREE exhibit at L.A. Live’s Event Deck to celebrate the Blu-Ray release of The Dark Knight Rises.

Once again, we were curious, so off we went, and we were not disappointed! The exhibit included costumes and props from films in the Dark Knight Trilogy as well as all seven Batmobiles, including the one from the Adam West television series.

For anyone interested, the dresses worn by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway are incredibly tiny. I just thought you might like to know that. And the Batman costumes are incredibly detailed , suggesting a very imposing figure.

The exhibit was certainly mood-inducing with low, dramatic lighting and the emotionally power-packed movie soundtrack pumping throughout the exhibit with a reverberating intensity.

The vehicles were beautiful, and certainly not just props. These were THE Batmobiles!

I need to repeat this–it was a first-class exhibit and it was open and free to the public. It makes me wonder what else is out there to enjoy and we just don’t pay attention!

Perhaps this will encourage you take a look through the local newspaper this weekend and see what you find in your own city..there are usually so many interesting events, exhibits and offerings to choose from, and all the better when you find something that doesn’t impose an entrance fee.

If you’re flexible, there’s always something interesting.

We’re ready for our weekend exhale and of course we have another field trip planned. I’ll tell you about that next week, but now it’s your turn to plan your own adventure! Enjoy your weekend, and I hope you’ll share your plans with me, too! I enjoy vicarious adventures when I’m resting in between my own!

That’s right, Nancy! I have my DVR all set to be sure I don’t miss Downton!🙂 There are usually many events and exhibits that appeal to me, but we can only do so much! So when I see something is for free, it definitely moves to the top of the list!🙂

I agree with you, Charlie, finding anything that is completely free of charge is almost non-existent. Your question about Heath Ledger’s outfits is interesting, and to be honest, I’m not sure. ost of the outfits were labeled according to who wore them, and I know if I’d seen his name I would have remembered. But there were a few that weren’t specifically labeled. I would have enjoyed the exhibit even more if I’d been with my son or son-in-law…they are big fans and probably would have helped fill in some of my questions! But it was a great deal of fun to see those beautiful cars up close.🙂

Thanks for stopping by, Dave. The Batmobiles were really impressive. They were beautiful vehicles. They were larger than I would have suspected, and it was funny to watch crowds of adults walking around them and speaking in hushed tones. The promoters did a very good job of creating a very dramatic setting!

I hope you do get to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, Frank. Our university recently acquired some fragments that were on display for a while and some of our Theology professors took us on a tour filling in some information. It was very impressive. There are always interesting exhibits “out there” don’t you think?

We did have a very enjoyable time reviewing our Batman trivia, Karen. I’m not much of an aficionado, but I was so impressed by the beauty of the automobiles. A true fan of the movies would have really enjoyed and appreciated the exhibit. There is so little free of charge anywhere, I am so glad we found it. It wasn’t well publicized.🙂

Who said there is no such thing as a free lunch? Isn’t it a fact that all that is free is so much better than anything that can be bought by money? Be it a free exhibit, love, friendship, curiosity and so on. I wish you all the best in the new year Debra

I wish you a wonderful new year, too, Otto. I enjoy sharing back and forth with you, always finding a new way to think about a subject after you comment. You are very insightful, and I appreciate it each time you stop by!

Free admission??? That’s unbelievable for such a great exhibit, Debra. I would have expected 1 car and a couple costumes, but this? Wow!
You’re right about there being plenty of things to do in the city on the weekend. If I’ve a free day, I try to get up early to see our local news telecast. They’ll run through a list of things to do, from special exhibits to neighborhood fairs. There’s always something going on. Thanks for the reminder.

The Batman exhibit was such a surprise, John. I don’t think it was all that well attended, and I don’t know why. I wonder if the fact that it was free perhaps gave the impression it wasn’t going to be much–and it was really impressive. If I am in the mood to check out the calendar section of the paper and really pay attention to events I usually find many more opportunities than I have time to follow!🙂

Oh what fun, Debra.🙂 Being free of charge is the icing on the cake of what looks like a super exhibition and your photos give such a good flavour of it. No trips out for us today as we had the first snow of the winter after I got back from church, so we’re staying snugly indoors.

What a fun thing to stumble on! Mr. N would have been thrilled! I probably would have too – used to watch the Adam West Batman when I was a kid. I hope you had a great weekend Debra. I look forward to your next weekend field trip.🙂

Oh your whole family would have found something to enjoy at the Batman exhibit, I’m sure. I was so impressed with the beauty of the cars and the detail in the costuming. Absolutely so impressive! The “moral of the story” is pay close attention to what shows up in the entertainment calendar of the newspaper. That’s how we heard about it!🙂

Up close and personal! Such fun, Debra. I know Tom would have impressed over the cars; well, if truth be told, so would I! I always find it interesting and a bit revealing to see the actual costumes actors wore. The screen makes everything/everyone seem so much bigger than life itself, when it isn’t always so. One of the best, though not free, exhibits I went to, with my sister, was the Jacqueline Kennedy one. Oh, those dresses . . .

I did do something free yesterday, with daughter Jennifer. We attended services in a monastery, a quiet retreat in the city of Chicago!

I am sure that would have been a thoroughly awesome day out, I love the innocence of being able to just oo and aah over hollywood trappings! there is something so clean and fun about being able to really look at the engineering and design up front in real life.. and free! YAY.. c

I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan. i noted that on my 200th.
I am off with my own batmobile tomorrow and I’m there.
Thanks so much. This is why I love blogging!
Oh 26 and 27, LA museums are free for all.😀

I’m think the Batman exhibit was temporary, but I hope you can find it somewhere! It was very nice. Open Museum Day is such a great thing. It’s ironic that we already have plans to go to the Malibu Getty for a concert…and it’s always free!🙂 Maybe we can go somewhere else first to make the most of it! I hope you get out and find something fun and new, Rommel!